Ex-Lawton Officer Killed in Afghanistan Shooting

A former Lawton police officer who was training Afghan soldiers has been killed in a shooting in Afghanistan.

Thursday, July 22nd 2010, 9:59 am

By: News 9


Staff and Wire Reports

LAWTON, Oklahoma -- A former Lawton police officer has been killed while training Afghan soldiers how to use their weapons, the city's police chief said Thursday.

Charles Buckman, 39, was among four people -- two American civilians and two Afghan soldiers -- that NATO said were killed Tuesday when one of the soldiers opened fire at Camp Shaheen in northern Afghanistan. Lawton Police Chief Ronnie Smith confirmed Buckman's death in an interview.

"He was training Afghan soldiers and one of the soldiers just turned on him, is what I was told," said Smith, citing a report he got from Buckman's employer, MPRI. "The guy just turned and started shooting."

NATO said an investigation into the shooting is under way. The international military coalition said in a statement that an Afghan soldier who trained others at the base outside Mazar-e-Sharif started shooting during the weapons exercise.

Buckman joined the Lawton department in 2002, Smith said.

"He did real well, came up real fast," Smith said. "He was very knowledgeable on weapons and very proficient. A real good guy, very well liked."

Buckman was assigned to the department's tactical team and to its gang task force before leaving after 6 1/2 years to work for Virginia-based MPRI and train soldiers in Afghanistan, Smith said.

MPRI, according to its Web site, is a division of L-3 Communications and provides services to the U.S. government, primarily in the National Security and Homeland Security sectors, international governments and agencies, state and local governments, and major corporations.

"He decided to do something to put money back for his kids for college and said he wanted to come back to the police department eventually," Smith said. "He told me he would probably be back someday. Might be four or five years once he was through."

Smith said he promised Buckman he would be rehired upon his return.

The police chief and other officers wore black ribbons on their badges to honor and remember Buckman. Funeral arrangements are still pending.

"Charles was just a country boy that knew what he was doing, and was very intelligent, the more you talked to him, he had that old southern accent but he was very pleasant," Smith said.

Buckman's body was flown from Afghanistan Thursday night to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware and is expected to arrive in Oklahoma late next week, Smith said.

He said Buckman is survived by his wife, two daughters and a son.

logo

Get The Daily Update!

Be among the first to get breaking news, weather, and general news updates from News on 6 delivered right to your inbox!

More Like This

July 22nd, 2010

March 14th, 2024

December 4th, 2023

September 25th, 2023

Top Headlines

March 29th, 2024

March 29th, 2024

March 29th, 2024

March 29th, 2024